Sir Aaron's Apprentice
by Arata Iwaku
Summary: If you had the chance to return to the past to save someone, would you do it? Ash is given such an opportunity to save Sir Aaron, but it is not that simple to save a hero that is fated to die.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **So before you say anything about stealing and such, I **AM** the person that originally wrote Sir Aaron's Apprentice the last time. This is a rewritten version (since the old one sucked) and all that stuff. There **are **going to be details that are going to change, so don't even think about skipping the chapters just because you know the story, alright? Thanks.

Reviews are really appreciated.

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Prologue

"Ah, nothing like a peaceful, cloudy day." Brock had commented while taking a sip of his soup. The group had taken a rest in a meadow close to town where it was big enough for them to train in and at the same time relax. Dawn was practicing some new tricks with her Pokémon, letting them run loose as their moves sparkled and would soon dazzle those that watched. They were pretty sure that they were all alone though, and that was good for the coordinator since she wanted her performance to be unexpected.

Unlike his companion, Ash, the aspiring Pokémon Master, was learning on a tree trunk on top of a medium-sized hill, closing his eyes as he tried to get his body to calm itself. He would train later, he thought. The boy's mind drifted away in to his memories easily, and soon he found himself reliving his past adventures, remembering each one with clarity. He would recall them from time to time so that he wouldn't forget about them...Ash certainly didn't want to forget the friends he had met in his journey...especially those who made a big impact on him.

He had eventually reached a fading image of a pokémon and his partner...fading, yes, but he knew them. Knew them _well_.

"Lucario..." he remembered the last time he saw him...lying on that crystal, about to collapse...waiting to disappear and rejoin his own master up there...he hated that he couldn't do anything for him. He could've...he _had_ a chance to save him, yet if he had continued helping him, perhaps he could've died as well. The jackal pokémon wouldn't have wanted that.

His pokémon were playing around, having fun, as always. The trainer could hear their cries and shouts as they were running around in a game of tag. The occasional gentle breeze made him want to take a little nap, but an unexpected voice stopped him. "Your name is Ash, correct?"

He didn't sound familiar, that was for sure. The teen pushed himself up with his left hand, turned around and noticed a boy slightly older than him standing close to the same tree he was leaning on. He had dark blue hair with spiky bangs, a long part of it tied to a thin ponytail, and his clothes were a casual set of blue, white, and black. What stood out were his eyes, which were blood red and seemingly empty. His expression was the same, which made him wary of why he was here.

The trainer then realized that he hadn't replied to the stranger's question yet. "Y-yeah. That's right...who are you?"

He smirked. "I am here to grant your wish."

"My...wish? What are you talking about? I didn't..."

"Subconsciously, you did. Just a while ago." his grin grew even bigger...it was like he was going to enjoy what was going to happen next. For some reason, he turned around, facing the deserted meadow behind him. "Good enough for you, brother?"

"Who are you talking to?"

"Oh, no one important for you." he seemed to be waiting for an answer from his 'brother' who was nowhere to be seen. After a few seconds, he nodded once; his smile still present. "Mm, great. I don't have to wait for another wish then."

Ash suddenly felt scared. What was this guy planning..? Brock, Dawn, or any of the pokémon had seen him yet. Should he shout for help?

"Ah, we're not bringing anyone else. _Just you_. This is your wish, so it must be you alone that shall fulfill it." out of the blue, a glowing light blue sphere appeared in his palm, letting it float like it was air. Before the teen could react, the stranger had thrust the same ball of energy on to his chest. Time had slowed down...or maybe even stopped...Ash couldn't tell. It was like his fall backwards took forever compared to what he had expected. His vision blurred, the environment started to distort in ways that he never thought possible, and the strangest thing of all was that the person in front of him just stood there...his eyes shining like gems.

What the trainer didn't know was that as soon as the sphere had touched him, he had disappeared in to thin air. The stranger was still standing there with a blank expression on his face. Nothing had changed except for one existence that was supposed to be here but now wasn't. He glanced at the playful pokémon and the two people down the hill, enjoying themselves and having no idea what had just happened. "Hopefully this lapse in his journey would not change him too much..."

With a sigh, he looked away and started to walk in a random direction away from the group. "I hope you're satisfied now, Palkia. This is one heck of a dare you've given me."

A circle of air surrounded him, and in a flash, he was gone, enveloped by the wind which quickly died down as if he had never stepped on the meadow.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Thrust Back

Ash had found himself in a forest, completely different from the place he was just in a few moments ago. Was it a few moments ago? His sense of time felt odd...it did felt like a short while, but from the pile of leaves on top of his body, it must had been hours since he had fallen here...wherever this place was.

With a loud groan, he pushed himself up from the smooth grass and looked around. Just trees...and the occasional cries of pokémon. People don't normally pass here; it seemed...after all, he would've been found a while ago if that was the case. Exhaling a shaky breath, he made a quick jump to get him on his feet. The trainer had nearly lost his footing, but he was able to regain his balance by leaning on a nearby trunk with his hand. His vision was still slightly clouded and his head pounded. What the stranger had done to him, he had no clue.

Speaking of which, the other person was nowhere in sight...and so were his friends. "Dawn? Brock? Pikachu? Anybody..?" no response. The boy frowned...it would be best to find some shelter or at least someone else for now he eventually realized. He could be really far from home, he had guessed, so gathering info was a good step.

The onyx-haired boy started to walk, thinking that it might take a while for him to get passed the group of trees. Thankfully, it actually didn't take too long. After a couple of minutes, he found himself standing on top of a small cliff, and running down would lead him to a village that one would only see in story books. A river flowed right in front of the town, and some of the children were splashing around, playing in it. He could see fields not far from the settlement where farmers were tilling the soil. It was a cloudy day, making the atmosphere cool and crisp like a fine morning. At the middle of the village, the market was bustling with crowds of villagers, carrying baskets with all kinds of food inside...mostly crops.

Looking further, Ash saw a castle that towered over the town. The scene was so familiar that he couldn't believe it. "That is..."

"Cameran Palace." a voice from behind him finished. The trainer turned around and saw the same stranger that had thrust him with that sphere. "You are looking at the Town of Rota in the olden days. Peaceful sight, isn't it?"

Instead of agreeing, Ash was too shocked to ask the thousands of questions that were in his head. "H-how...how did we...I...what did you do..?"

"I sent you back in time, boy. I thought you would be able to figure that out just by looking."

"To...to when? Why am I here? Why did you send me here?"

"Is that anger I hear? Do not fret; I'm not planning to keep you here against your will. You might want to listen to what I have to say before you tell me to send you back though."

Ash made a small grunt, clearly annoyed. "F-fine."

"Hmph. Anyway, as I have mentioned, we are currently close to the town of Rota and Cameran Palace. Remember what I told you about granting your wish?" he paused, and after a few seconds, Ash figured out that he was waiting for a response. He nodded, but didn't really delve in to it. What was the last thing he thought about before this weird dude appeared? It was..."_Lucario_. Sir Aaron and Lucario..."

The stranger smiled. "Correct. So to answer your desire, I sent you back in time. Following?"

"Wait, so...Sir Aaron...he's..?"

"Very much alive, yes. This is before the war...one without cause, no reason...and yet shook this place to its very core."

The thought of meeting Sir Aaron felt like a dream come true to Ash. Lucario talked highly of him, so it was definitely someone the trainer wanted to have a chat with...or even train under. He was an aura user as well, so learning how to use it would be a great help in situations where he didn't have his pokémon with him.

A sudden question popped in to the boy's head. "Who are you? And how can you travel back in time..?"

The person smiled. "I won't tell you yet. In due time...when it is needed."

"That's unfair. You're getting me in to this mess and you won't even tell me who you are?"

"It's not something that I can just reveal to anyone, but you make a good point, Ash." out of the blue, he disappeared, vanished in to thin air. He could still sense his presence though, as if he was just invisible. _I still won't tell you though._

After that sentence, the presence was gone. Ash felt that he was truly alone, and honestly, he didn't like that guy. Turning around to face the village, he exhaled. What was he waiting for? Sir Aaron and Lucario could be in the castle and he was in walking distance to it! So with a confident grin, he jumped from the cliff, landed without a scratch, and ran straight in to the village.

It was then he noticed how much he stood out.

Compared to all the other villagers who wore simple clothing, Ash's outfit was completely different. Once he stepped in, everyone took note of him immediately. _"Who is that kid?"_

_"Looks strange."_

_"Not from around here..."_

_"Some foreigner..?"_

_"Maybe a soldier?"_

The onyx-haired boy immediately felt the stares and glares that were directed at him. He was about to try retorting before another voice cut through the whispers. "Now that is not how we treat guests, is it?"

_"Ah, Sir Aaron!"_

_"I-it's him!"_

Said man was walking down a path that the people had made for him. Behind him was his apprentice, Lucario, observing the surroundings as if expecting something to strike them at any moment. The steel/fighting type pokémon was moving in a way that it seemed to always be alert compared to his teacher, who took calm strides through the crowd of watchers. Sir Aaron was dressed in a cloak of midnight blue, a blue and gray outfit with boots, gloves that had jewels attached to each one, and his trademark hat that covered his unbelievably messy hair...just how Ash remembered him. It was real...he was really back in time.

"I apologize for the villagers jumping in to conclusions. It is quite rare for us to have someone dressed like you. Let me introduce myself...my name is Aaron, and I am the Aura Guardian of this area. This is my student, Lucario." he made a quick gesture to the pokémon behind him. "May I ask your name?"

"I...I'm-" _do not tell your real name, Ash._

Said teen was surprised. It was the voice of the stranger that had sent him back...

_It is necessary for you not to let them know your real identity._

"I-I'm A...Aiden. Nice to meet you, Sir Aaron."

_Hmph, nice name you pulled out. Expected something stranger._

The trainer _really _didn't like this guy.

"Likewise, Aiden. Would you like to see Cameran Palace?"

"_What_?" Lucario growled. "Why are you asking this stranger to come to the castle?"

The man patted his student's head. "Do not be so rude, Lucario." he glanced at Ash. "Will that be alright with you?"

"Uh, sure..." he decided to go along with it for now. The idea of being with Sir Aaron was exciting for him, yes, but he couldn't help but think that he didn't belong here. Nevertheless, he was already stuck in the past, so might as well make the most of it for the time being.

Realizing that the pair of aura users were already walking to the direction of the palace, he started to run so that he could catch up to them. "H-hey, wait up!"

"Master, are you sure about this..? He might be an enemy." the pokémon whispered, clearly distressed and concerned.

"He will be fine...after all; he has the same aura as I do. It is not every day that you see such a person."

Lucario scowled. There had to be a reason why he suddenly came here of all places, and that made him suspicious. He wasn't going to trust him yet even if his teacher did.

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**A/N: **So if anyone remembers the original chapter, you can see that a lot of stuff has changed, no? I did improve, right? o_o

Chapter 2 will come along eventually. I'm hoping that the rewritten chapters will come much faster than before. Yeah.

Please review? Reviews are like hugs. I like hugs.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I was actually planning to cut this short in my usual spot, but then I decided to make it longer and all that. I didn't expect for it to extend another...what, 800 words? Anyway, I'm glad I was able to put this up in a pretty short amount of time. I'm getting back in to this story~ Yay~

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Chapter 2 - Questions

Cameran Palace didn't change that very much since the last time he had been here...which was in the future, so technically he hadn't been here yet, but either way he was in awe as he stood in front of its gate. Its walls looked new, and plants flourished at the base, decorating the bottom with a golden yellow. The entire structure covered the whole mountain it was sitting on, filled with many rooms, towers, and windows. He bet he could see the entire town of Rota and beyond if he was looking out at the highest tower of the castle. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Sir Aaron commented.

Ash nodded, still speechless. Seeing the building in all its glory was breathtaking.

Lucario made a small grunt as he walked ahead of the two humans. The bridge that led inside was lowered immediately, letting the pokémon step on it and go inside. They both followed, and the trainer got to see the familiar hallways and soon, the ballroom where he remembered sitting on the throne at the very end. At the moment, it was just like a huge living room with a few tables close to the walls which were covered in huge paintings of famous people he had no clue of...the throne was somewhere else, and that was where they were heading...or so Ash had guessed.

He had been led to a narrow hallway, up a set of stairs, and found himself in another corridor except it was lined with doors. "These are the guest rooms. You can stay here if we do not consider you a threat to the kingdom. I will ask you questions once we get inside."

The boy nodded in understanding and they headed to one of the doors. The place was already furnished with a bed at the far right, a table in the middle with two stools to accompany it, a wooden shelf that touched the ceiling filled with a few books (the trainer would like to check them out later) and a window at the other side of the room with a view of the town and the forests beyond. A simple room, but Ash felt that it was enough.

The Aura Guardian went ahead and took a seat nearby the table. He gestured the teen to sit down as well, and he did so without saying anything. Lucario, meanwhile, was leaning on a wall close to the entrance. The pokémon obviously didn't want any part on the little interview his teacher was going to conduct.

Ash honestly felt anxious...what was he going to ask? Would he have to lie to him about some things? He wasn't very good at lying...the name he had picked for himself was just from a character he had seen on TV the day before (it was a neat show for him. He would like to continue watching it if ever he would be able to get back to his own time).

"No need to be nervous, Aiden. Nervousness can lead to suspicions."

The boy stiffened even more, suddenly wondering how the man saw him at that moment. Just a kid that came here by accident? Or maybe a person that shouldn't be trusted...

"So, Aiden, where did you come from?"

"Uhm...from..." he had no clue of the surrounding villages here in this time period, so he decided to be truthful. "I'm from Pallet Town."

"Pallet...I have not heard of that place before. Is it far from here?"

"Y-yeah...it is."

"Why did you come to Rota, then?"

"I...I got lost..."

"Is that so?" the trainer nodded, but he had a hard time keeping his face calm. "Where are your parents?"

"My...parents..?" he paused, uncertain how to reply. "Well...my mom's at home...and...I haven't seen my dad in a while..."

"So you left them."

"I'm on a journey, I didn't leave mom without saying goodbye." he answered, a little angry that he said that he left them. Before he knew it, Ash spilled out other details that he never planned to tell him. He told him that he was traveling with his companions Dawn and Brock. He had a team of pokémon with him as well (Sir Aaron seemed to be impressed by this) and that they went from place to place. Whenever he caught himself saying something out of the ordinary, he tried to cover it up (like when he accidentally said something about defeating gym leaders-"You go around fighting other people to train your pokémon? That is interesting. I never knew such traditions existed in our world."). Lucario would occasionally grumble in the background, but his master was absorbed in to the stories that Ash was telling him, and they ended up losing much more time than they had expected.

"Let me ask you one thing, Aiden." Sir Aaron told him while outstretching his hand which was covered with a black glove. Out of the blue, a small, light blue sphere formed, growing bigger and bigger until it was as large as a toy ball. It floated and did not touch him which fascinated Ash since this was the first time he saw it up close. "Do you know what this is?"

"A...An Aura...Sphere..."

"Very good. You seem to have some knowledge about it, after all." he showed a big grin. "Do you know how to do something like this?"

"N-no, I don't..."

"Then I will teach you."

This surprised both Lucario and Ash. Sir Aaron seemed to be dead serious though. "I can sense it...your aura is like mine. You do not see that every day, which is why I would like to take you in as my student."

"Master, you cannot just take in a stranger! That is...that is..."

"Lucario, you can see it as well, so why do you doubt?"

The pokémon growled. "Aura alone cannot determine a person, Master. Even if he seems harmless, who knows what dangers he may bring with him if he stays here?"

"Hey, I won't-"

"Enough." Sir Aaron declared as he stood up from his seat. "Lucario, you may go ahead and train without me. I will catch up to you eventually."

"B-but, Master-!"

"Lucario, you have said enough."

The pokémon didn't push it any further and decided to leave. He still had a scowl on his face, and his glare was focused on Ash before he went out of the room, slamming the door in the process.

The man sighed. "I am sorry for Lucario's rudeness. This actually is not the first time he had doubts on new people who come here."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I am guessing that he is worried about whom I am placing my trust on, but that would not be a problem between us, correct, Aiden?"

"O-of course!"

Smiling, he walked past the boy and was in front of the slightly large window. "We will train in the woods there later." he said while pointing at the direction where Ash had first stepped in to this time. "Oh, you must be hungry from your trip. I am sorry for keeping you up here for so long."

"It's okay. I'm not-" the trainer suddenly felt his stomach groan loudly. He had forgotten that he wasn't able to eat lunch today.

Sir Aaron laughed. "I will tell the chefs to prepare something for you. For now, you can get used to what will be your room for a while." he had left the room soon after, leaving the boy alone. It was a good time to explore the place, he thought.

Looking around, he first tried the bed and was happy that it felt comfortable and a bit bouncy. The sheets looked new or washed recently, and everything inside had been dusted as well. It was a well-kept room, fit for a castle like Cameran. Ash then went to the bookshelf and let his fingers run through the covers. Some of them felt old and worn, while others were sturdy and the letters weren't faded. Not really thinking of what book he was getting, he pulled one out and glanced at the cover before skimming through its contents. He wasn't really reading but he did stop at the pages where there were pictures of battles and victories. He noticed that one person was wearing an outfit similar to Sir Aaron's, and reading on; he found out that the person was an Aura Guardian just like him. They were travelers that did good deeds, protecting those who needed it and kept peace in the land. Those who had the fiery aura inside of them were usually good natured people, but there had been some who tried to abuse their power. Only humans who inherited the blue flame had the ability to use their aura, yet no one knew who had originally created the trade. Nearly every kingdom had at least one of these kinds of people, and they would usually take in a student worthy of being taught the move to pass it down to future generations.

"Sir Aaron...is going to teach me..." he was really excited now. He was actually going to teach him!

Lucario got him concerned though. He...he didn't do anything, right? So why was he so cautious of him? And what he said about the dangers...he suddenly remembered the war that was going to come soon. When was it coming, he didn't know. The boy wished he had asked the person that had sent him here. That way he could prepare for that day and might actually save Sir Aaron.

The problem now would be how the heck he was going to accomplish such a thing.

-o-

It was around two in the afternoon when Ash finally got to eat lunch. It was kind of awkward for him since the table he was eating on was incredibly long...one that you would only see in those fancy dining rooms in castles in which Cameran was no exception. Plus, he was the only one sitting there. The only other people with him were two butlers waiting for him to finish.

Very, very awkward.

At least the food was good...as good-maybe even better than Brock's cooking!

The thought made him miss being with his friends. He wondered how they were doing...or maybe they wouldn't even notice that he left. Time was certainly a tricky aspect to think about, but he was guessing that at the very end, he would probably send him back to when he first met him.

Finishing the roast chicken and potatoes on his plate along with a bit of pasta, he stood up from his seat and faced the servants. "Thanks for meal, it was really good!"

The butlers smiled and bowed. "You are very welcome." they said in unison. Ash walked away from the table and went out of the room, finding himself in a corridor where you can see the outside like a balcony. Sir Aaron was leaning on the stone railway, closing his eyes as if resting for a short moment. Yet when the boy said his name, he immediately responded. "Ah, you're done. We are going to head to the training grounds...if that is alright with you."

"I'm kinda worried about Lucario, Sir Aaron..."

"He will be fine. He would not do anything brash if I am there." with a smile, he gestured Ash to follow him and he did so. The man seemed really familiar with the castle since he knew exactly where he was going despite this being such a big place. Before the trainer knew it, he was outside again at the gate of the castle. "Are you going to teach me how to do Aura Sphere?"

"Not yet. First you have to master Aura Sensing if you have not done so yet...have you?"

Ash shook his head. "I never had any training, so it would be really cool if you could show me how, Sir Aaron."

"_Cool_?"

It never occurred to the boy that 'cool' wasn't a popular slang yet. "Cool is like...awesome, amazing..? Something like that."

The man had a confused look. "Your words are different from ours. Do people in your place speak this way?"

"Y-yeah...they do."

"Hm, I thought I knew many things about our world, but I seem to be wrong."

"That's why I went on a journey. I mean, besides getting to meet new friends and pokémon, I also get to know more about our world than I ever knew before."

"I am surprised your parents actually allowed you...I certainly never heard of a boy of your age travelling with pokémon."

"That's because things are really different from where I'm from."

"It seems to be that way."

They reached the village in due time, talking about all kinds of things as they walked to the forest. Sir Aaron told his new student about his own adventures before he decided to teach Lucario, and Ash told him about his friends and pokémon. "It seems that every time I go to a new place, there are new pokémon just waiting to be discovered! It's so cool-I mean, amazing how many kinds are there."

"It is indeed amazing that you were able to tame so many pokémon in just a short span of time. Even if pokémon are generally friendly creatures, I certainly would not have been able to do what you have done."

"Nah, I think you would be an awesome Pokémon Trainer, Sir Aaron!"

"Pokémon Trainer?"

"That's what we call those who befriend pokémon like me."

"Oh, I see. I never heard of that before."

Eventually, trees were starting to appear over their heads, blocking some of the sunlight to the ground. Ash could hear the cries of pokémon as they walked along with the leaves rustling and the occasional breeze. This was where they were going to train, and the boy was hoping he was going to enjoy every minute of it. "Are you ready, Aiden?"

"Definitely, let's do this!"

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**A/N:** I never expected Sir Aaron and Ash to be so chatty. o_o I had a hard time ending the chapter somehow since they kept talking and stuff. I'm pretty sure that I wasn't able to do something like this in the original, so I'm really glad I was able to bring a more casual side between them~

Review, please? It would be really awesome if you could!


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: **There's going to be a whole lot of dialogue in this one...I tried to expand on the training a bit more compared to the original story, so there will be a bit more difficulty for Ash and all that stuff. I had a hard time figuring out how to end this chapter, honestly. :\ I've been feeling exhausted on writing lately. Perhaps I'm out of juice.

Anyway, sorry for taking a while with this. Reviews are very much appreciated!

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Chapter 3 - Training

Like what the man said, Aura Sensing came first. The most basic and useful ability, and if could not be learned, it basically meant that the person could never master harnessing his aura. Ash sort of knew what it was...he saw Lucario did it before, but he had no idea how they saw it or how it even worked.

"I ask again, are you ready?"

The trainer nodded, though he honestly had no idea what was going to happen next. He was used to training with his pokémon and for them to get results, but now it all rested on him.

Sir Aaron smiled. "Alright, let's start with something simple." the man took out a piece of cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around his eyes. "Attack me."

The boy was taken aback. "_W-what_?"

"You heard what I said."

"But _why_?"

"Hm, let us make a quick deal...if you can lay a finger on me in the next minute, I will let you eat dinner."

"_Heh_? You're saying that you won't let me eat?" _t-that's stupid!_

But his teacher nodded as if completely serious. "55 seconds."

At that moment, Ash jumped in to action. Without thinking, he rushed straight in with his fist up high, ready to strike. His opponent didn't move an inch. Not yet. His eyes were blinded because of the cloth, so that should give him some advantage, right?

Apparently not. His hand only connected with air. His teacher had dodged his attack effortlessly. "51 seconds."

Gritting his teeth, the trainer kept throwing punches, but he evaded them all and was barely wasting any energy. He just simply took another step to avoid the attack, and that got Ash frustrated. He was surprised how easily tired he was getting; he could hear himself starting to pant. "35 seconds."

_Stop pressuring me!_ He continued with the same pattern over and over again, too desperate and too tired to try something else. He had the dreaded feeling that he wasn't going to eat dinner tonight. Sir Aaron had picked a game where Ash had no chance in winning. Aura Sensing allowed him to see through the cloth he tied around his head, and thinking about it, it was amazing that he could dodge all his punches blindfolded.

"10 seconds."

The boy had stopped moving, stopped attacking. "You're not gonna go easy on me?"

"8 seconds."

"I can't win against you like this, Sir Aaron!"

"4 seconds."

"Just _stop_!" he threw his fist at him, and for some reason instead of avoiding it, he caught it with his own hand.

The onyx-haired teen was breathing heavily. Why was he feeling so tired..? It wasn't usually like this with his pokémon. He could keep training for hours with them, and yet with Sir Aaron, he was already tired in under a minute. "You pass."

"Huh?"

"I told you that you can eat dinner if you can touch me, right?" Ash's fist was still caught in his teacher's grip, and he quickly pulled back.

"...why didn't you dodge?"

The man smiled. "I am not _that_ terrible to my students, Aiden." he replied while taking off the piece of cloth from his eyes. "Now you know what Aura Sensing can do."

He nodded. So he did this just to show him..."Your turn."

"W-what?"

"I said your turn. Are you hard of hearing, Aiden?"

"N-no, but aren't you going to teach me how to use it?"

"You will learn faster by experience. Now take the blindfold." he couldn't believe how tough Sir Aaron's teaching methods were, but if this was the fastest way, then he might as well do it. He had no idea when the war would come, after all, so learning as much as he could while things weren't hectic was a good idea. With shaking fingers, he took the cloth from the man and tied it around his eyes. The color was dark, so as soon as the boy put it on, he couldn't see a thing. How did his teacher manage to use Aura Sensing through this? He was starting to panic.

"You would not mind if I start attacking you now, would you?"

"Of course I would! Sir Aaron, I can't see anything!"

"Do not be alarmed. If you stay calm and channel your aura, you can see through even the darkest shroud."

"How do I channel my aura?" there was worry in his voice. Ash had to admit he was scared.

"You will figure it out."

"I-I _can't_!"

"Have faith in yourself, Aiden."

"B-but..." no answer came after that. The boy had then realized that he was alone. The Aura Guardian could come at any moment and he wouldn't even be able to see it!

Suddenly he felt a light shove from behind. He staggered a few steps before turning around and throwing some punches. Nothing. Only the sounds of the forest could be heard, he couldn't pick up the man's footsteps at all. Another push, and once again he was gone before he could strike back. He was starting to tremble badly.

This time he felt a strong punch from his back. He was knocked on to the ground, and it took some time before Ash could get back up. _H-he's...not holding back..._

"Is that really all?" the trainer couldn't tell where his voice was coming from. "I expected more. Even Lucario was not this vulnerable when we started."

For some reason, he felt fired up all of a sudden. What was he doing? He was just...cowering like a baby! Sir Aaron said that he needed to stay calm. He needed to focus. Focus...

Taking a deep breath, the boy closed his eyes (not that it made much of a difference with the blindfold) and stood perfectly still. Pretend that you can see through the darkness, he thought. Channel your aura to your eyes.

Unexpectedly, small wisps of flame appeared right before him. He opened his eyes in shock, and it disappeared. That was it! He did the same thing he did before and continued to concentrate. The flames grew bigger, eventually forming in to figures. It wasn't before long until he could see the trees and the ground below him.

There was an extremely huge blue fire in the distance yet facing his direction, motionless. In an instant, his demeanor changed and he charged in. This time Ash was ready...

Or so he thought.

Before he realized it, the man changed his attacking hand from right to left and was able to land a clean blow on his chest. It made him fall on the ground again, groaning. "Perhaps I went a little too far..." he heard Sir Aaron mumble. "Can you stand?"

Ash nodded, but when he tried to push himself up once more, he found himself back on the forest floor in pain. "Ugh...maybe not..."

"I apologize, Aiden. I did not take in to account that you might not have any battle experience yet. You had mentioned that you simply train pokémon, correct? It seems that you depend on them too much."

Annoyingly for him, he couldn't think of anything against what he said. This place was probably much more dangerous than his own time, so it was logical for his teacher to assume that he knew how to fight...when he didn't. "Shall we end training here? A couple minutes had barely passed though."

He hated to admit it, but it would be nice if they could take a break.

"Would you like me to carry you back?"

"N-no, that's okay-" the boy could feel his arm being pulled upward and his whole body followed in to a sitting position...only the Aura Guardian was supporting his back with his other hand. "It seems that you do not have any energy left." it was easy for him to pick him up and let the child rest on his back. He could feel his student breathing heavily. He _did_ go too far, and it was his fault for not realizing it. It made him feel guilty.

Sir Aaron had started to walk away from the training grounds when Ash suddenly spoke. "I was...able to do it, you know."

"Do what?"

"Aura Sensing. I saw it...I saw you before you hit me."

"Is that so?"

He could feel the boy weakly nod. He smiled. "Good. Tomorrow we should focus on your battle stances instead of aura. You fight as if you do not know what you are doing."

"H-hey...I'm not that weak..."

"We will have to see about that."

To his surprise, his student had fallen asleep on him. It was almost cute.

"Master." Lucario had appeared in front of him without him knowing. He had dropped his guard, and he was certain that the pokémon would scold him for it. He seemed to be more focused on the tired boy on his back though. "He fell asleep?"

Sir Aaron smiled. "Training was quite exhausting for him."

"That means he is weak." he said with a growl.

"Then I will make him stronger. Is that not why I teach you as well?"

"I still do not trust him."

"That will become a weakness, Lucario."

"That is nothing compared to your _own_ weakness, Master." his face showed a scowl, one that wasn't contented with the current situation. "You do not understand what I see."

"I think I know perfectly well." the man answered. He decided not to push on the subject further for now, but it was obvious that the pokémon wanted to continue arguing. Sir Aaron noticed this and felt concerned. This was too much even for Lucario, he thought. What was making him so cautious? So aggravated?

The sky was starting to turn from light blue to a bright orange. Time had passed by quite quickly, and soon it would be dark.

The silence that hung over the two of them was uncomfortable, to say the least. The man couldn't move as quickly because Ash was on his back, and the pokémon pointed out that hindrance. This was definitely too much. "What do you see in him, Lucario? He is nothing but a boy that I wish to aid."

"He is different. He is not from around here."

"Yes, Aiden has told me that-"

"No, Master, he is not from _here_. This world."

"And pray tell how that is possible?"

"I am not sure, but I am certain about what I said. He should not be here, and that is why I do not trust him."

"Lucario, _really_...I know you are always wary of strangers, but this is starting to become ridiculous."

"He is _different_! He has a special scent of sorts...it is hard to explain, but it is not the same as those who are from here."

"...are you sure?"

"_Yes_." his voice was firm, there was no denying it. Sir Aaron still had doubts though...more of questions, to be precise.

He sighed. "I will keep in mind what you have told me, but Aiden is a guest here and will be treated as so until I say otherwise. Because of that, you are not to be rude to him anymore. Understand?"

"...yes, Master."


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Okay, I terribly apologize for not updating sooner. School got kind of in the way aaand...well, I actually needed to check the movie again for this chapter, so that was also another reason. Eeeh, I have pathetic excuses...sorry for making you wait, everyone...

Alright, I hope this is okay. It's a bit long, so hopefully that makes up for it? I'll try to update sooner for the next chapter. Review please!

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Chapter 4 - Searching

Ash had woken up to the grumbles of his stomach and a strong urge to eat some cheeseburgers. Unfortunately, he was pretty sure that cheeseburgers hadn't been invented yet. All he was able to eat so far was a lot of fancy foods that he never really bothered trying back home. Twinges of homesickness started to come even if he had only been in this time period for...what, less than a day? Had it been a day? The boy looked out the window. It was dark; he could see the twinkling white stars and a crescent moon outside.

Wait, when did he get back to the room? Did Sir Aaron carry him all the way back? Now he felt bad that he let the man do such a thing. He would thank him the following morning.

But first...the problem that he probably wouldn't be able to go back to sleep unless he ate something. He sighed as he kicked off the blanket from his body and let his feet touch the floor. It was cold to the touch and made him flinch, yet he decided to ignore it anyway. The trainer got off the bed and was about to walk straight to the door until he noticed a clean pile of clothes on the table. Examining it, he realized that they were his size. Did Sir Aaron give this to him? He guessed that it wouldn't hurt to wear it...his current outfit kind of made him a sore thumb in a crowd, and so he casually placed the clothes on and kept the ones his mom gave him in the closet close by. They were comfortable, but he couldn't really see it in the darkness. The light from the moon didn't help that very much, but he could figure out that the shades of the clothes that they were similar to Sir Aaron's. Simple shirt with short sleeves, loose pants...there was even a piece of underwear in there. It reminded him of his mom, and that made him lightly blush in embarrassment. He was going to keep that for later.

Finished, he proceeded to the door, grabbed the handle, and pulled it open. It gave way easily and he was able to step out without a sound...until he accidentally slammed it. Ash cringed; the loud noise ringing his ears and spreading all around the palace. After a few seconds of silence though, he told himself to calm down and started to explore.

He had no clue where the kitchen was though. He wished that someone could give him directions, but who would be awake this time of night? Was it even past midnight or was it earlier? It seemed more like the first since everyone was asleep...or so Ash had assumed.

The boy could hear his own cautious and nervous steps echo as they hit the solid floor. He tried to lighten them, but it didn't work. He admitted that he was afraid that something could jump out on him at any moment.

A thought then went through his mind. Why couldn't he use Aura Sensing to find the kitchen? It shouldn't be too hard...and if he couldn't find it, he could at least find Sir Aaron. The man wouldn't mind him waking him up in the middle of the night, would he?

With a determined smile on his face, Ash closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Attempting to remember what he had done earlier in the afternoon, he tried to concentrate on being able to see in the dark...see with his aura illuminating the way even when there was no light at all.

It took a minute or so before the familiar sparks of blue flame started to flicker in the darkness. They grew, forming themselves in to the outlines of the surroundings in front of him. Even non-living things had a small amount of aura in them, it seemed. Ash felt like he was walking around with night vision, but this ability, to his dismay, didn't seem to have the power to look through walls.

With a frown, he opened his eyes and sighed. That was useless, he thought. The boy wondered if looking through walls was something he had to master. He made a mental note to ask Sir Aaron about that tomorrow.

The grumblings of his stomach reminded him of his real mission: finding something to eat.

He just had to do it the old fashioned way...open every single unlocked door until he found food.

Clouds were starting to block the moonlight, making it even harder to see at that time. Aura Sensing found its use, after all. At least he wouldn't be completely blind and solely relying on his sense of touch. Walking around with his eyes closed, he assumed that the kitchen would be somewhere downstairs since the dining room where he ate was around there as well. It felt weird to move around with everything glowing light blue and some parts looking fuzzy, but it was the only thing he had, so it was fine enough.

The trainer soon found his way to a large, grand door. Was this the way to the ball room where he first met Lucario in his own time? He couldn't really remember...Ash wished that he had taken more note of his surroundings a while ago...though things did seem to change whenever night would take over. The lack of light always found a way to alter what he assumed was familiar to something else entirely.

Breathing deeply, he pushed the door with both of his hands, creating a heavy sound as he did so. He was sure he was going to wake up somebody with that noise, but he didn't care. Ash had simply shoved it far enough for him to squeeze through and didn't bother closing it. The loud echoes only lasted a couple seconds, anyway.

He glanced around and found himself stepping in a large stretch of space, with a long carpet laid out in front of him and huge glass windows at the sides, revealing the garden outside. The ceiling which was way up high had chandeliers hanging from it. This was definitely the ball room; he could easily remember people dancing in here despite the darkness making it look like a huge, eerie-looking area. At the far end were a few stairs and the throne. Just one, yet he distinctively recalled that there was another, smaller one for him the first time he was here. Well, that was made for a tradition that probably never existed yet, so it wasn't strange that it wasn't there.

His stomach growled as if telling him to stop getting sidetracked.

Ash had then realized that he was so hungry that sometimes inhaling air was already painful. He needed to find something to eat, fast.

Scanning the place, the boy saw that there was a small door to the right, close to the corner. That had to be the kitchen, he thought, please let it be the kitchen or at least a place where there was food. He moved quickly, making loud sounds that echoed throughout as his shoes hit the floor. The trainer soon reached the door, turned the knob and went inside without hesitation. "Food?"

A mixture of nice smells hit him once he entered. It made his stomach rumble even more. "_Foooood_..."

"Who is there?" the voice made him freeze. There was someone here? Oh Arceus, why? "Show yourself!"

Slowly, Ash stepped in to the smaller room; his whole body trembling. He couldn't see the other person that was in here, and that made him all the more frightened.

"Oh, it is just you..." a man came in to view, standing under the moonlight that streamed from the window. "You are Sir Aaron's new apprentice, correct?"

He was a butler. The boy sighed in relief. "Wow...you scared me..."

The other person placed his hand on his chest and bowed. "I apologize for doing so. I find it quite odd though that you would be up at such a time."

Ash frowned. "I...I was hungry so..."

The servant laughed. "Ah, that explains it. Allow me to prepare something for you to eat."

"A-are you sure that's alright?"

"It is of no trouble, yet I thank you for your concern. Please wait for a while."

-o-

Unlike earlier that afternoon, Ash was forking down his late dinner in one of the many smaller rooms in the palace. It was a place where the other servants would gather, and while it wasn't as grand compared to the dining room he was in before, it was still nice, and for the boy, it felt a bit closer to home. "This is amazing..! I can't believe you-" he took another bite out of a piece of meat. "-were abrh toh makeh this in jush ah fewh mihnutes!"

The butler smiled. "I am glad that you enjoy it, though I would advise you not to eat so quickly or you might suffocate."

"Nah, don't-" another chunk of food went in to his mouth. "-worreh abouh it!" he swallowed it, a big grin still on his face. "I do this all the time!"

The smile disappeared for a brief moment. "That is unhealthy, Sir."

"Not really." he finished the rest of his meal quickly; he felt really happy and full. "Aaah, that was great! I wish I could have food like this every day."

"You do realize that you can if you stay here."

He glanced at him. "Yeah...I know..." _but I'm not staying here forever. I don't belong here._

The trainer thanked him once more for the meal before returning back to his room, yet this time he asked for directions before leaving. He felt sluggish at the time, too unfocused to pull off another long session of Aura Sensing to find his way back. Besides, the directions ended up taking him a lot quicker to find his room again compared to the other method he used a while ago.

As soon as he was in, he went straight to his bed and fell on it. He felt tired, and it didn't take long for him to fall back asleep.

-o-

Ash knew that it was way too early to wake up when he felt his body being shaken by somebody. He let out a soft groan, but that didn't stop the movement. It was gentle, though, kind of like how his mom would wake him up if ever he overslept. "Aiden..."

Once he heard his name, he decided to stop trying to go back to sleep. "Sir Aaron..? Ugh, what time is it?"

"Five in the morning. I apologize for waking you up so early, but since you slept quite early yesterday, I assumed that you would be fine by this time."

"Wait...so...why did you wake me up..?" the boy finally got to open his eyes, though his vision was still a bit blurry. He could see his teacher smiling and sitting beside him. "Training, of course."

"_Whaat_..? Now..?" he rubbed his eyes so that it would be clearer. "I was...able to do Aura Sensing yesterday, you know."

"Well I can see that you changed your clothes, so that means that you woke up at least once in the middle of the night."

"Uh huh..."

Sir Aaron's smile grew bigger. "Whether you were able to do it or not does not matter for now. We are doing battle training today."

"Battle...training..?"

The Aura Guardian placed his hands on Ash's shoulders and pulled him up in to a sitting position. He still looked groggy and his hair was a little messed up. Sir Aaron chuckled at his appearance. "You should not look so worn out, Aiden." he ruffled his hair a bit, making the trainer retort. "_Hey_!"

"Hahaha! I am...glad that you are here. I cannot do something like this to Lucario." Ash pouted, making him laugh again. "You certainly are very different from him, and that is a good thing."

"R-really?"

"I am not saying that Lucario is a bad student, of course not. He is in fact one of the best I have seen. It is just that he is too serious and needs to relax once in a while, such as you."

"Ah..."

Sir Aaron had stood up and glanced at the door before turning his attention back to the black-haired boy. "Ready to go?"

"Right now?"

"You need time to prepare?"

"Uhm, no..."

"Then let us go." he said with a smile. Ash sighed. There was nothing else he could do but follow.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Eyup, you guys are not hallucinating. Another chapter. I thought I would never see the day, but apparently I would.

Yeah, I know, I haven't updated for a very long time. School just loves showing me why they say that third year in my school is the 'hardest school year of your life'. It's definitely different from last year, that's for sure. So I deeply apologize for keeping you guys waiting. I won't guarantee I'm going to update regularly, but let's see what time has in store.

I had a tricky time dealing with this chapter...it's hard to stay in-character when you haven't watched Pokemon in a very long time (so I don't know most of the characters would act in certain situations anymore). Feel free to point them out, but I probably won't edit this chapter anymore. It depends on the gravity of the error. I'll take note of it in future chapters though.

For those who were expecting a fight scene, sorry about that, but I decided not to add it in this chapter. I had a hard time figuring out how to do something like that since...eh, too lazy to explain. Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited, followed, and read this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. x-x

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Chapter 5 - Delving

Lucario did not want to have anything to do with Aiden, and so at the times where his master would bring the boy to train, he was elsewhere, either taking out his annoyance on the many trees in the forest, or the pokémon would be wandering around the village, watching life go on normally. He had been doing this for a few days now, and it irked him that his new apprentice was actually getting better, stronger.

He did not understand the anger inside of him. Was it anger? No, it was different, he was certain. He was also sure that he had never experienced this kind of emotion before. What was it?

The pokémon threw another punch at the thick, rough trunk. He cursed under his breath as he released an Aura sphere while his palm was still in contact with the wood. The result was an explosion that blew off a part of it and left a huge burnt mark on the plant. Lucario growled, not caring about the damage he did. "If only he could disappear...just like this."

Perhaps that was a little too far, he had thought, but he wished for Aiden to have never stepped in to their lives. He was certain that he didn't belong here, that he was a stranger that should not be trusted. He had told that to his master again and again, yet what did he do? Ignore him. Even worse, he took the boy in and taught him how to fight. Didn't Sir Aaron realize that he could eventually make him a dangerous threat?

Or a valuable ally, the man would probably say.

Lucario hated it when he put the child in a good light. That was what he had been doing ever since the first day they met.

The pokémon had never confronted Aiden directly, though. The boy didn't seem to want anything to do with him either. He knew that Lucario didn't trust him, and that was why he kept his distance. He would slip a quick hello when they meet sometimes, but the steel/fighting type would just grunt and turn away.

Sir Aaron noticed this, of course, but he hadn't made any effort to try to get them to befriend each other. Not yet. That was what Lucario predicted. It would be like him to attempt such a thing.

He exhaled sharply. This was going nowhere. If he wanted to know more about the child, he would need to dig deeper.

Unfortunately, the only method he could come up with was to ask Aiden himself, and that was out of the question.

Lucario shook his head. He was dwelling too much on this. What if he was being too paranoid, like what his master had said the other day? But his scent...it was the scent that made him doubt. It was just...too odd. Too out of place. It smelled of...another kind of energy. He didn't tell Sir Aaron that the smell was already gone, but he was sure that it was there. That aura...it wasn't Aiden's that was for sure. It was a presence that he didn't recognize. Did it belong to a human? No, that would've been impossible. No human could ever possess such power. Then it had to be a pokémon...but what species? What kind of pokémon could get a boy from another world and drop him here? And what would it have to gain from it?

So many questions...

"Perhaps _he_ would be able to answer some of them." he suddenly muttered. The pokémon then broke in to a run, heading straight for a house a bit far from the village. The man who lived in it chose to be in a secluded place, and for Lucario, he was one of the most knowledgeable people he knew.

-o-

Trevor was still sleeping when someone knocked on the door.

That certain someone had been standing there for quite some time, eventually getting impatient when no one came to answer him. "Sir Trevor, please wake up!"

The brunette groaned loudly as he grabbed the pillow under his head and covered his ears. Why would someone be here so early in the morning..?

"Sir Trevor!"

"Ugh, would you quit shouting..?" he mumbled, clearly annoyed. "I still have not gotten ten hours of sleep..."

Lucario didn't hear those words, but he knew that the man wouldn't get up without force. And so the pokémon decided to break down his door with brute force.

The sudden loud noise made Trevor jump up in to a sitting position, wide awake. "L-Lucario, my door..!"

"It was the only way I could enter."

"No it is not! You could have...you could have just gone through the window...now I have to fix it..." he sighed heavily as he rubbed his hair. "So...what do you want? Did my old friend give you a message to tell me or something..?"

"No...I have...questions..."

"About..? I am surprised that you have come to me instead of your master." he wiped his eyes, trying to clear them so that he would not be tempted to fall back asleep again in the middle of the conversation.

"This is something that I cannot ask him. He...he does not know I am here."

That caught Trevor's curiosity. "Oh? And why ever not? As I recall, you are always by his side."

Lucario hesitated for a moment. "He...has taken in a new apprentice."

"A new apprentice? That is news to me. Since when? Who is he, or she? Pokémon? Human? Give me all the details, I would like to know what kind of person could have caught my old friend's interest once again." and so the pokémon told him all he knew and all he thought. Every once in a while, Trevor was nodding his head to signal that he was catching on. The more he told, the more his smile grew bigger. Lucario had feared this...the brunette had the tendency to be extremely interested in all kinds of info. It made him very well-informed about the world, but at the same time, many people found him...too energetic when he unraveled 'mysteries' and the like.

He was still on his mattress with his legs and arms folded before he spoke. "A scent that is out of this world, you say?" that was the most peculiar part of Lucario's story, the man thought. "So you are looking for a pokémon that has the ability to transport a person from one place to another, and from how you said it, it does not seem to be an ordinary pokémon, so any normal psychic ones are out of the question...is that correct?"

"Yes. What do you think, Sir Trevor?"

"Hm, if the energy seems very powerful, then it could be a legendary."

"Legendary..?"

"Mhm...and there are only a handful I know of that can perform such a feat. The closest one from here would be Mew, and it can do just that."

"So you are saying that Mew did this? I thought...I thought that is just a legend that it lives in the Tree of Beginning."

"Ah, but in a world such as ours, legends have the tendency of being real. It is odd though for Mew to bring someone from a very faraway place to here. Usually it is the opposite..." the man crossed his arms and looked like he was in deep thought. "Mew brings things that interest it to its home, so unless we consider other somewhat farfetched factors, then Mew is not our culprit."

"What are these other factors, Sir Trevor?"

"Well, many things. Maybe something huge is coming and Mew thought that this boy could be a key to solving it, or Mew did this for its own amusement, but again, that is very out of character according to the stories. It often keeps itself entertained by 'stealing' objects, mostly toys and knickknacks. Maybe something or someone forced it to do this, or perhaps it is the boy that has a problem and either begged Mew to bring him somewhere else or Mew decided to help him. I could keep going on and on, but if you really want a more accurate answer, you need to provide me more information or just ask him yourself."

"The second option is out of the question." Lucario said with a scowl.

"Alright, alright, then I leave it up to you then. You can come back here anytime you like, but please, do not break my door next time."

"I will try."

"I was hoping for a better answer..." Trevor muttered with a sigh. "Well, are you planning to head back to the palace or are you going to train more?"

The pokémon glanced at the floor for a moment. "I cannot train efficiently without Master, but I do not want to see Aiden now either."

"Yet it would be a good time to gather the needed information we need, would it not?"

"Yes, but..."

"It should be fine, Lucario. Aaron would not just take him as an apprentice simply because he shares his aura. He knows-believes that he is good, and that he has the potential to become an Aura Guardian like himself. Such people who meet those qualifications do not come by that very often, so if my old friend chooses him, then there is a big possibility that he is the real thing. I already have a good feeling about Aiden even if I have not met him yet...oh, why did I not think of that earlier?" he jumped out of his bed, headed to his closet, and got some clothes for him to change in. "I will just get rid of this drowsy look and we can go."

"_We_?"

"If you are going back to the castle, then I might as well join you. I have not seen Aaron in a long time and I am eager to meet Aiden, so why not?"

Lucario wanted to find a way to say no, yet he couldn't think of any response. He had no choice but to agree.

"Great, now if you will excuse me, I will be back in a couple of minutes. Feel free to sit anywhere you like."

-o-

"_Focus_, Aiden. And do not peek."

Ash flinched when he heard that. Of course he could see that little attempt, but the boy felt uneasy having to close his eyes instead of having a blindfold. While he did the previous night, he only did it to search for something, not avoid an attack and strike back.

Sir Aaron's aura was still in front of him, and he waited cautiously for it to move. His surroundings seemed blurry, liked they were being mixed together in a large mush. He felt drowsy even if they had been up for around an hour. He wished he could've slept more.

The trainer took a deep breath and let it out. He needed to focus, like what Sir Aaron said. He couldn't feel sleepy now!

The blue wisps wavered for a moment and then fixed themselves, but then he realized that a giant portion of it was missing. His mentor was nowhere to be seen. "Oh no."

In panic, he opened his eyes and made a full circle, looking around frantically for a sign. It was going to be like yesterday afternoon, only the Aura Guardian was going to be a bit harsher. He didn't get why they were rushing in to something like this when so far they just did some warm ups and attempted punching lessons. Yes, he was able to practice in that one hour span, but he wasn't ready!

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that his teacher was standing right there, looking concerned. "It looks like we need to work on your confidence first."

"It would be easier if I wasn't alone..." he mumbled, thinking about his pokémon. He remembered those times when he trained with them, and even through all the pain, when they were successful, it was worth it. Why couldn't he do the same with himself? What was holding him back? The fear of getting hurt?

"It is because you are used to travelling with others, is that correct?"

Ash nodded once, sheepish. He didn't realize how much he depended on them, how much he wanted for them to just be there. Even just Pikachu being with him would be great.

"Hm, perhaps it is my mistake for me to force this upon you. After all, I am sure that you would like to find your friends again." he sounded somewhat disappointed, and the teen didn't like the tone. "How long do you plan to stay here?" Sir Aaron asked.

The question was unexpected and he had to think it over before answering. "...I don't know..." it was the truth since he didn't know when the war would even come. How could he say that he needed to stay here without looking like he was leaving his friends behind? They wouldn't just come here, that was never going to happen...

"Do you want to see your friends?"

"Of course I do!"

"Am I stopping you?"

His eyes widened. How could he possibly answer that? The answer was yes, he was stopping him. It was the only reason why he was here, and even if he didn't exactly want this to happen, the fact that he was given a chance was something that he could not pass. To save his life...to somehow save this man who could give so much more to the world. Anytime, he could go back to his friends and end his journey in this time period, but no, he would never do that. The problem was how he was going to say such a thing without most of those important details.

"Aiden?"

Ash avoided his gaze, still thinking. Messing this up wasn't an option. "...yeah, you are...but I want to learn. Maybe not be an Aura Guardian, yet I want to use this power to help other people too."

"And your friends?"

He exhaled sharply. "I...didn't get lost, Sir Aaron, I came here because I wanted to meet you. I have already told them that and they're fine with it."

"So you lied...you lied about your purpose for coming here."

The words stung. "I'm sorry, Sir Aaron..! I just couldn't tell you the truth..."

"And why is that?" the boy couldn't tell if he was angry or not. His expression was serious though.

"I...I thought that...you wouldn't take me in as your student?"

It was his teacher's turn to sigh. "Fair enough. You were most likely nervous when I asked you all those questions, so I forgive you."

"R-really?"

"Just do not do it again."

"I won't."

"Do you promise?"

"Yeah...I...I promise."

Ash sure hoped that he could keep it.


End file.
